2019 Polls: We Nabbed 58 Suspected Electoral Offenders -IGP

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Muhammed Adamu, yesterday said that 58 suspected high profile electoral offenders were arrested during the 2019 general elections.
Adamu, represented by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations, Abdulmajid Ali disclosed this during the commission’s review of the 2019 general elections with the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja.
The IG said that 39 out of the 58 suspects had been conclusively investigated and charged to courts while 19 were still being investigated.
“During the last elections, 58 high profile arrests were made; 25 were during the presidential and National Assembly elections, 17 during governorship election and 14 others.
“Out of this 39 were conclusively investigated and charged to courts while 19 are pending,” he said.
Adamu said there is no gain saying that the experiences of last general elections and the relationship between INEC, the police and other security agencies is quite cordial.
He commended other security agencies, particularly the military for the cooperation given to the Nigeria Police Force and INEC during the elections.
“I want to also assure that the police and other security agencies are ever ready to put in more efforts in ensuring that the forthcoming governorship elections are free, fair, and credible,” Adamu said.
He said that the review came at the right time, particularly when INEC is preparing for Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections.
Early in his remarks, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that proven misconduct during the 2019 elections must be dealt with according to the law.
Yakubu said dealing with electoral offenders is one of the surest ways to address impunity and instill sanity in the electoral process.
He said that he was happy to note that the Nigeria Police Force made several arrests of suspected electoral offenders during the general elections.